Joyce Plan in McCaulley Manor -Madison, AL by Murphy Homes AL
Madison, AL 35758

I had 2 kids go through Discovery - one didn’t do any extra curricular activities, the other played basketball & baseball. Overall, both had a positive experience. My younger child attended during Covid & while things were a little chaotic at first, I truly believe the staff did the best they could to accommodate a very immediate & drastic change in procedures. As a parent, yes you had to be involved, and I’m sure it was difficult for families who couldn’t be home during the day…just like it was for every family in the country at the time. I never had an issue contacting teachers for clarification if needed. The Madison City School district recognized that in person classes were crucial…not just as a means of providing quality education, but for the mental health of the students as well. When many other schools remained closed, Madison did their best to reopen while following the “recommendations” of various health agencies. I’m writing this review because two of the seven reviews for this school are directly related to Covid policies & clearly those two individuals did not have a good experience. I don’t think the entire history of the school & its staff should be so heavily judged on this one event…especially when we all have the benefit of hindsight. Madison City Schools did their best to restore in person classes asap, which turned out to be crucial to the academic success of students. Of course it was rocky, just like everything else was at the time. One reviewer complained that the schools didn’t mask the kids enough & gave no alternative…I respectfully disagree, especially since we know now that masks provided virtually no protection. We know now that kids were at the lowest risk for serious illness. The biggest barrier to education during that time was the federal government. I can’t imagine the toll it took on teachers who were parents themselves, and we probably could’ve done things differently, but in the middle of it all I still believe the city acted in the best interest of the children, within some pretty strict & harsh boundaries.

I wouldn't recommend this school to anyone. The teachers and staff do everything they can to avoid doing actual teaching in a traditional sense. Everything is "did you check schoology..." It has become their best excuse to avoid any personal accountability as teachers. Well if you posted everything to schoology and aren't expected to do anything else, why even come to school? Not only this, they make it clear they do not actually care about your children or their progress, especially if your child has disabilities. This is my biggest issue. Being a government contractor, I've lived in a lot of different states and this is the first state I've lived in where teachers do not have to follow the 504/IEP plans. They are only required to sign it and then they get to treat your children however they wish. They aren't required to follow the guidelines of these plans and when you call them out on it, they will even say things like "..none of my students are offered this." As in, your child is treated just like every other student rather than legally upholding the ADA law to "accommodate." You will have to take the lead on your child's 504/IEP plan, requesting meetings, etc. They aren't going to go out of their way to do anything regardless of your child's documented. I've had to accept unfortunately that my child may continue failing at this school, as teachers are more determined to practice what they think is "tough love" instead of following the law, and during their senior year I will transition them to homeschool so they don't have to face the humiliation of repeating the remaining courses and graduating with the next class.

West Madison elementary school is now Midtown elementary school. They moved into a new building. The administration and staff in this school are outstanding! Honestly the best of the best schools in Madison city schools. Leadership sure does reflect, and Mrs. Demeester is an exemplary leader.The inclusion at this school and care they inculcate into the students to genuinely care for each other is one I have never seen before.The students are kind and support kids of all kinds. My son loves going to school and has learned and developed so well socially and academically. Special education staff is incredible. They genuinely care about your child and do everything in their power to help them. Giving me hope I wasn't too sure of prior to him starting here. This school is a heaven sentY'all this school has the best staff. Mrs. Sellers, Mrs. Rush, Mrs. Massey. Just an awesome staff and administration. A very rare find to get the best of both worlds.